


When Did Life Become So Complicated

by GinnyK



Series: Two Lost Souls on the Highway of Life [10]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Gibbs need to talk, Hurt/Comfort, post ep for The Arizona
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:00:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26049187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinnyK/pseuds/GinnyK
Summary: Post Ep for Arizona.
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane
Series: Two Lost Souls on the Highway of Life [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1351900
Comments: 17
Kudos: 120





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Always knew I would eventually write a post ep for this episode but didn't quite come up with an idea right after it aired. Then I got wrapped up in writing Every Day Just Feels a Little Longer this summer. 
> 
> In the middle of the story Gibbs and Tony had a conversation over a few drinks and I wrote a little throw away line about the day Gibbs returned from Hawaii. Didn't really give it much thought until I reread the chapter before posting it. Within an hour I had a rough draft of this chapter. 
> 
> As with Every Day Just Feels a Little Longer, the title comes from a line in the song When Your Feel Don't Touch the Ground from the musical Finding Neverland.
> 
> Enjoy.

Jack waited for his plane to land from the relative comfort of Gibbs’ truck. She arrived about 30 minutes before he was scheduled to land and 15 minutes before the sunrise. Parking so she could sit on the tailgate of the truck and watch both the sunrise and the runway, she breathed in the fresh late Spring morning. It was a bit chilly but she didn’t mind. With a large, light and sweet, coffee beside her and wrapped up in a flannel shirt which belonged to Gibbs she was the picture of early morning contentment. She kicked her feet out in front of her a few times, bracing her hands on the edge of the tailgate. As she scanned the sky for the hulking outline of the C-130 she tried hard not to rethink her decision to come meet Gibbs. She’d gone back and forth about asking him if she could pick him up, basically from the time he’d landed in Hawaii.

They’d talked a few times but the time difference and his lack of willingness to actually hold a conversation had made it rather difficult. She had somehow convinced him to stay an extra 2 nights, rather than turn right around 6 hours after accompanying Joe’s remains to the Arizona. A not so subtle suggestion was made to actually set foot on a beach, have a nice meal or at the very least have a drink at a beachside bar. She honestly didn’t know if he’d done any of those things. For all she knew he’d stopped by the nearest liquor store and hid in the room he was staying in on Naval Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Of course, Gibbs had tried to talk her out of coming to pick him up. He knew he wouldn’t be in any frame of mine to have a conversation about anything important, let alone a conversation about his time in Pearl Harbor. He would just want to get home and be alone.

He also knew there was no chance in hell that was going to happen. So, he reluctantly agreed to have Jack meet him at Andrews Air Force Base, after she promised to not push him to talk. He’d learned over the previous 6 months that she was perfectly capable of doing just that. While it certainly wasn’t her preferred way of spending time with him, she gave him the space and time he needed, knowing sooner or later he would talk.

Jack heard the plane before she saw it, a rumbling coming from behind her. She leaned her head back and covered her ears, watching the plane fly over her and land on the runaway in a screech of tires and dust. The plane pulled over to the small building. She pulled the hat down over her eyes to block out the early morning sun. It was an old USMC hat she’d found under the seat of the truck. She saw Gibbs climb out of the plane, duffle slung over his shoulder. Dressed in tan cargo pants, boots and an unbuttoned denim shirt along with his usual white t-shirt, he was moving slowly as one would expect of a person in his 60s who’d just spent a very long flight in a plane not exactly known for comfort. He gave her a little tip of his hat before disappearing into the building. 

It only took a few minutes for him to reappear out the front of the building. Jack was still sitting on the back of the truck, nervously drumming her fingers on the tailgate. She finished her coffee but made no effort to slide out of the truck and greet him. Gibbs stopped a foot in front of her, tossing the duffle into the back of the truck almost over her shoulder. She flinched as the metal buckle clattered on the metal floor of the truck bed. Gibbs reached to pull the hat off her head, pressing a kiss to her forehead. To her surprise, he wrapped her up in a big hug, holding her tight. The fact that he said nothing, not surprising at all. She rested her chin on his shoulder and rubbed his back. When she felt him take a few shaky breaths she decided it was time to say something.

“You okay?” she asked, cringing at home stupid her question sounded. He was far from okay, she knew that, but she wasn’t sure if he’d even admit to it.

“No,” he whispered as he took half a step back and pushed his own hat up a little so he could look Jack in the eye. She could tell he was absolutely exhausted. There was no sparkle in his blue eyes, he needed a shave and he looked a few seconds away from just falling over. He slid his hands down her arms to grab her hands, giving them a squeeze before gently pulling her off the truck. She brushed the dust off the back of her jeans while he closed the tailgate. He made a half-hearted effort to head for the driver’s side, but she gave a little chuckle and gently nudged him in the other direction with her shoulder.

Jack slid into the driver’s seat and picked up the cup of coffee she’d gotten for him so he wouldn’t knock it over when he got in next to her. He tossed his hat on the seat between them and reached for the coffee, taking a large, satisfying sip.

“Thank you for picking me up,” he whispered as he looked straight ahead.

“Thank you for letting me,” Jack said as she eased the truck into gear and headed for the gate.

Predictably Gibbs was asleep before Jack pulled the truck onto 495, heading for Virginia. Traffic was light, it was still early and it was Saturday. Jack reached to grab his coffee cup out of his hand before he spilled what was left. She considered just drinking it herself but the thought of black coffee made her cringe. The cup got wedged between the side of the bench seat and the driver’s side door where it was a little safer than in Gibbs’ lap.

Jack rolled down the window as they crossed the Potomac. Gibbs started to stir a little as she slowed down to turn onto Route 1, heading into Arlington. She turned the truck into the driveway, waving to the mail carrier who was heading towards the house where Finn and his mom had lived. It had recently been sold but the new owners had yet to move in.

“Gibbs,” Jack said quietly as she nudged his shoulder a little. He rubbed at his eyes and reached for his hat. Jack rescued the coffee before she opened the door. Gibbs grabbed his duffle out of the back and dragged himself up the steps while Jack grabbed the mail out of the mailbox. He managed to make it into the foyer but not much further. Jack scooted around him, picking the duffle up off the floor where he’d dropped it. “Jethro, you gotta work with me a little,” she said. While he was truly a man of few words, she was starting to get a little worried as he’d only said about a dozen words since he’d landed.

“Sorry,” he said, shaking his head a little to clear it. He allowed Jack to take him by the hand and lead him upstairs. She deposited him in the rocker in the corner of the room before tossing the duffle on the bed. With a little gesture towards the bag, Gibbs nodded and she unzipped it, pulling out his suit first. It was completely wrinkled and she tossed it in the corner of his room with a few other things he needed to take to the dry cleaner. She pulled his shaving kit out next and handed it to him, a silent suggestion for him. He took her suggestion and pushed himself to his feet, heading across the hall.

“You hungry?” Jack asked as he started to close the bathroom door.

“I have no idea,” he muttered.

“Don’t fall asleep in there,” Jack teased.

“You could come make sure that doesn’t happen,” he threw over his shoulder.

Jack was pulling things out of the duffle bag and she stopped suddenly at his comment. She stuck her head out into the hallway, truly not sure how to react to the comment. The fact that he’d just closed the bathroom door led her to believe the comment was fueled by exhaustion and wasn’t actually an invitation to anything. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. When she heard the shower turn on she went back to her task of unpacking. The clean clothes got put away, the dirty things tossed in the basket. His book got put on his nightstand. There was a small brown paper bag and she set that unopened on his dresser. A couple of random shells leading her to believe he did actually set foot on a beach, those got set on the nightstand next to his book. There was a bag of Kona coffee and a bag a macadamia nuts, she hoped they were for her. At the bottom of the bag were 5 Pearl Harbor t-shirts, child sized, which she figured out quickly were for Phineas and the four other little ones. She put them on the end of the bed, smiling at the fact he’d taken time out to get the kids something.

She was about to toss the duffle back in the closet when she noticed there was fair amount of sand in it so she set it on the floor by the door to deal with later. 

Gibbs somehow managed to stay awake and take a quick shower, washing away the grit and grime of his far from enjoyable flight home.

Jack debated whether or not to head downstairs before Gibbs got out of the bathroom. But her own overwhelming exhaustion won out and she sat down in the rocker, pulling the blanket from the end of the bed over her. She’d been up at 4:30 to get ready for the drive out to Andrews, and having gone to bed about 1:00, she was in need of a nap herself. She was vaguely aware of the shower turning off as she closed her eyes.

Gibbs somehow managed to shave without cutting himself or falling asleep standing up. He brushed his teeth and padded across the hall with only a towel wrapped around his waist. A smile came across his face when he found Jack asleep in the rocker. Throwing caution to the wind he dropped the towel as he reached to open the dresser drawer to pull out a pair of boxers. The sound of the sticky drawer being pulled open woke Jack up. Her eyes fluttered open and she caught of glimpse of Gibbs, facing away from her, completely naked. She tried her best not to stay quiet but somehow a little sound escaped her lips. Jack froze, praying he hadn’t heard her.

“You just woke up, didn’t you?” Gibbs said with a little laugh as he stayed with his back to her. He quickly leaned over and pulled the plaid boxers on.

“Uh, yeah,” Jack managed to squeak out. She stayed where she was, not sure what to do. 

“Well, that was predictable,” he muttered as he ran the towel over his hair a little before hanging it up on the back of the door. “Liked the view?” he asked in a tone that in her exhausted state Jack couldn’t quite figure out. Was he teasing, serious or just plain exhausted too? He glanced in her direction as he held out his hand to her. Jack bit her lower lip and pushed aside the blanket, letting him pull her to her feet. He was still standing there wearing only boxers. It wasn’t like it was the first time she’d seen him dressed like that. But it was the first time she felt vaguely uneasy. As much as she tried not to stare, she found herself drawn to his scars. There was a clear bullet hole over his left shoulder, some random smaller lines, probably from knife wounds. Most prominent was the scar bisecting his chest. That scar simply meant he was still alive. Swallowing hard, she reached out her finger to gently touch the top of the scar. Again, not the first time she’d done that, but it was the first time she’d done it with such purpose, such forethought. Swallowing hard she ran her finger down the faint white line. 

When she reached the bottom of the scar she pull her hand away, suddenly and completely unsure of herself. Gibbs tipped up her chin. Her watery brown eyes met his watery blue pair.

“Jethro,” she whispered, barely loud enough to be heard over the thumping of her heart. 

“Jack,” he whispered back. She reached up to cup his cheek and that one little touch was his undoing, not the intimate gesture of her running her finger down the scar on his chest, just a simple touch of her hand against his freshly shaven cheek and everything he’d been holding in for the better part of a week flooded out. He sagged against her and she took a quick step back with one foot to keep her balance. The gut wrenching sound coming out of him was nothing short of heartbreaking. She knew she had to act fast as it was only a matter of time before both of them ended up on the floor.

“Sit,” she whispered as she maneuvered him a foot or so until the backs of his knees hit the end of the bed and he sat down. Jack kept one hand on his shoulder to balance herself as she kicked off her shoes. When she was sure Gibbs wasn’t about to fall over she let go of him and motioned to him to scoot up to the head of the bed. Jack pushed back the covers and climbed into the bed, his bed, and opened her arms up to him. With a little kick to his hip, Jack got Gibbs to move from where he was. He crawled up the length of the bed ending up with his head on her shoulder, arms wrapped around her, holding on for dear life. 

Jack pulled the covers up over them and just let him cry. She knew him well enough to know that words weren’t needed. In the 3 years she’d known him she’d seen him upset, even a little teary at few times, but what she was seeing currently was beyond anything she though Leroy Jethro Gibbs was capable of, let alone anything he would allow another living person to see. A few minutes later It was time for her to try and intervene a little before he made himself sick.

“Honey, I need you to try and take a deep breath,” she whispered as she loosened her grip on him a little. He moved his head a little so she could look him in the eye. She brushed back the still damp hair off his forehead. “Breathe,” she whispered. He managed to mirror her breathing and calm himself down. “Better?” she asked as she leaned forward and kissed him softly, just as she had a done a dozen times before. He nodded and sat up, wrapping his arms around her. He leaned in for another kiss which quickly went way over the arbitrary line they’d set for themselves. Before she could even fathom what was happening, she shrugged out of the flannel shirt she had on, tossing it on the floor. Jack’s arms wound around Gibbs and their legs tangled up under the covers. 

Jack was jolted back to reality as Gibbs’ hands made their way to the hem of her tank top and he started to inch it up. She gently pushed him away with a shaky breath. “Jethro,” she whispered, shaking her head. His hands stilled and an unreadable look came across his face and he froze for just a few seconds.

“Oh God,” Gibbs muttered as he pushed the covers back and threw his long legs over the edge of the bed. A silent minute later he stood up on shaky legs. He crossed the room and pulled a t-shirt out of the drawer and slipped it on. He started to pace the room feeling some combination of sadness, confusion, exhaustion and a little bit of mortification. 

Jack took a moment to get herself under control a little. She was also feeling a combination of things, very similar to what Gibbs was feeling.

“I’m sorry,” Gibbs whispered as he basically face planted on the bed next to her. Jack stretched out next to him and pulled the sheet over both of them. She reached a tentative hand out to touch his shoulder. When he didn’t flinch at her touch, she started to rub his back a little.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“I pushed you towards something you didn’t want to do,” he whispered as he shoved an arm under the pillow and turned to face her. 

“Jethro, please don’t think for a minute that I didn’t want more, that I don’t want more. I do, it’s just not how I want it to happen. Not like this, not while we’re both basically exhausted and in tears. Does that make sense?” she whispered.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Definitely not how I pictured it finally happening,” he explained as he rolled onto his side, facing her. He brushed her hair out of her face.

“So you’ve thought about it,” Jack asked with a barely contained giggle. Gibb tried to glare a little but ended up laughing along with her.

“God we are pathetic, aren’t we?” he muttered.

“Not pathetic. At the moment we are exhausted and emotional and not in the right frame of mind to be making life changing decisions,” Jack explained.

“Life changing? God Sloane, I hope your expectations aren’t set too high,” he laughed. Jack just rolled her eyes at him. She pressed a kiss to his forehead. He squirmed a little trying to get comfortable.

“How about Advil and some sleep?” Jack offered.

“Perfect,” Gibbs muttered as he sat up. “Flight was not exactly first class,” he teased.

Jack managed to make it back with the pills before Gibbs fell asleep. She wiped his face with a damp cloth and he curled up on his side. 

“Sleep, I promised I’ll still be here when you wake up,” Jack whispered as she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“You need sleep too,” he muttered, patting the other pillow.

“I’ll be right back,” Jack promised. She slipped off her jeans and socks before grabbing a t-shirt out of the dresser and crawling into bed with him.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack only slept for an hour or so. When she woke up Gibbs was still sound asleep. He was stretched out on his stomach, left arm hanging off the edge of the bed, his usual position. She crawled out of bed. As the mattress shifted he woke up reached out in her direction. 

“Go back to sleep,” she said softly as she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his hand. 

“Okay,” he whispered as he closed his eyes again.

She started to grab her jeans but realized what she wanted was comfort. She found a pair of black leggings in her go bag and pulled them on along with the flannel shirt she had been wearing earlier.

Jack grabbed the coffee, macadamia nuts and the laundry basket before heading downstairs. She started the washer and headed for the kitchen. It was a little after 10:00 and she had absolutely no idea what to do next. A small part of her wanted to get dressed, leave a note and head home. But she had promised him she would still be there when he woke up. She started a pot of the Kona coffee, figuring whatever she decided to do would require caffeine.

When enough coffee had brewed to fill her mug she poured it, grabbed the blanket off the couch and started to head for the front porch. The sun coming through the stained glass window sent colorful beams of light on the hardwood floor. She took a few seconds to admire the pattern before pulling the front door open. One step later, she headed for the laundry room to grab a pair of socks when she realized the morning was still a bit cool. She couldn’t find a pair of hers, so she just grabbed a pair of Gibbs’ socks, pulling them up over her leggings. 

She curled up in one of the chairs, tucking the blanket around her and wrapping her hands around the coffee, letting the warmth seep into her. The sun peeked behind a few clouds and the wind picked up a little but she stayed outside. When the coffee was gone, Jack set the mug down and snuggled up under the blanket a bit more. She thought about what had just happened with Gibbs, how maybe she could have handled it better, how maybe she should have just followed his lead. 

“No, you did the right thing,” she whispered to herself as she used the edge of the blanket to wipe her eyes.

Of course, Jack had thought about what it would be like to take things further with Gibbs. She pretty much thought about it on a daily basis, she was relatively sure they both did. But there was the line they’d set for themselves so long ago. She could no longer remember why exactly they’d set a line in the first place. Or if there had really been a reason, other than the fact they’d both been hurt and were more than a bit gun shy when it came to opening up to someone. 

And of course, there was Rule #12.

She thought about how the “line” they’d drawn had moved over time. They started out as co-workers, then friends who hung out with bourbon, friends who fell asleep on the couch together, friends with clothes at each other’s homes, friends who shared a bed without a second thought, friends who kissed sometimes, and now one friend who had seen the other naked. 

Jack smiled at her memories.

She heard the front door open and quickly ran a hand over her face, steeling her features.

“Hey,” Gibbs whispered as he shuffled towards her. He was wearing a pair of flannel pants and an ancient USMC hoodie, clearly not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. He sat on the porch railing in front of Jack, hands braced on the top.

“Did you sleep?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah, a little. I’ll be fine,” he answered. There wasn’t much conviction in his voice and the dark circles under his eyes did nothing to back up his statement about being fine.

Uh, hope the coffee you brought home wasn’t a given for someone since I made a pot, you want me to bring some out?” Jack offered.

“Sure,” Gibbs answered with a tiny little smile and nod of his head. “And the bag was for you,” he added over his shoulder with a chuckle.

Jack picked up her empty mug and headed inside. Gibbs pushed the two chairs closer to each other before sitting down and propping his feet on the railing. He shoved his hands in the pocket of his hoodie and closed his eyes while he waited for Jack to return. 

“Here,” she said as she held out the mug of steaming coffee. Gibbs took it with a grateful smile, inhaling the aroma. It had only taken one cup of the coffee in Hawaii for him to fall in love with it.

Jack sat down in the chair next to him, curling up as best she could.

“You sure we aren’t just pathetic people?” Gibbs asked. “I mean, I’m not sure we’re capable of navigating a normal relationship.”

“There are times I’m not sure we can navigate one. Doesn’t make us pathetic, it just makes us……us,” Jack whispered after taking a few seconds to decide how to respond. 

“Well then, here’s to us,” Gibbs smiled as he held up his coffee mug in a little toast. Jack tapped her mug against his before tentatively reaching out to touch his hand. When he didn’t pull away in fear or anything else, she loosely laced her fingers with his. “Should we talk or something?” Gibbs muttered a few minutes later. His eyes were looking straight ahead, glancing out over the quiet street.

“I don’t know, I suppose, maybe,” Jack replied with a sigh.

“Way to be decisive Sloane,” Gibbs teased. “Well, I’m sorry about before,” he said after taking a beat.

“No need to be sorry Jethro. We were emotional and upset and that’s not how I want things to happen.”

“Okay. So just how have you pictured things happening?” he asked, half joking, half curious. “And how many times have you pictured it,” he added, going for full on teasing. 

Jack took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. His tone might have been teasing but there was an underlying seriousness to his general demeanor. “Many times and lots of scenarios.” Gibbs motioned for her to continue with a little wave of his hand and a wink. “Okay. Like the always popular, stuck in a hotel room with only one bed. Or drunk on bourbon.”

“Who was drunk, you or me?” Gibbs asked as he lolled his head in her direction.

“Oh, both of us. Late at night in my office, after everyone else has gone home.”

“All good, realistic scenarios. And you do have a nice couch in your office,” Gibbs agreed with a smirk.

“And you’ve had plenty of experience sleeping on my couch. And your senarios?” Jack teased.

“In the basement, under a half finished boat. Strip poker.”

“Tell me the strip poker game was just between the two of us,” Jack snorted.

“Of course,” Gibbs assured her.

“And many times, I’ve pictured it happening the way it almost did a few hours ago. But that’s not what I want. I don’t want it to happen out of pity, pity from either of us. I don’t want to do it because one of us has the overwhelming need to feel alive. I want it to just be about us, not outside factors. Make sense?” Jack asked quietly.

“Sure, it does. And if we’re being honest, it scares me. I’m sure you know that. It’s been a long time since I’ve truly let another person into my life. It terrifies me at times, to have someone know things about me I’m not sure I want to even think about, let alone share with another person,” Gibbs said as he drained his coffee mug and set it on the floor next to his chair. 

“As stupid and dorky as it sounds, I don’t ever want to lose what we do have, here and now. I’d rather be friends for life, than lovers for a short time,” Jack said as he pulled her hand from his. She used the sleeve of the flannel shirt to swipe at her eyes.

“I get that. But why do you think it would only be for a short time?” Gibbs asked curiously.

“Personal experience. I know how I can be and it’s not always pleasant.”

“And ya think I am?” Gibbs snorted.

“Not at all, cowboy,” Jack said with a little watery laugh. 

“Can we just go back to where we were this morning when you picked me up?”

“I can, if you can,” Jack smiled as she stood up, stretching a little. “You want some more coffee?”

“You really have to ask that question,” Gibbs teased as he pushed himself to his feet with a not so quiet groan. “I am never flying in C-130 again,” he muttered as he stood still for a few seconds to get his bearings.

“Probably a good idea,” Jack agreed as she leaned over to pick up his mug before following him back in the house. She deposited him on the couch while she poured some more coffee.

They drank their coffee curled up together on the couch, just like always. Jack had some music playing softly on her cell phone. Neither felt the need to talk. Gibbs was sure he wouldn’t be able to avoid a conversation about his time in Hawaii for very long, but he was going to take whatever he could get in terms of time.

When the coffee was gone, both were a few minutes away from falling back to sleep. Gibbs set the mugs on the coffee table and curled up with his head in Jack’s lap. And for a brief time, all was right with the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as usual for the kudos and comments.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack woke with a start to the sound of tree branches hitting the side of the house. A spring storm seemed to have come out of nowhere. She managed to slip off the couch without waking Gibbs. With a kiss to his forehead she covered him back up and left him to sleep. She went out onto the porch and pulled the chairs back against the house before coming back in and closing the front windows where the rain was starting to come in.

She headed for the kitchen, realizing she was really hungry. The previous afternoon she’d gone to the food store and picked up a few staples for him as his fridge was pretty empty when he left for Hawaii. She made herself a ham and cheese sandwich with a bottle of iced tea. As she ate her lunch she scrolled through her social media feeds and texted with Tony who had reached out an hour earlier, just checking in to see how things were going. She gave him an update, a bit vague as she wasn’t about to give him details of what had happened earlier. The decision to share that with Tony would have to come from Gibbs himself. 

As she took the last bite of her sandwich she saw Gibbs throw back the blanket she’d tossed over him and sit up. He pushed himself to his feet with a groan as his knees creaked. Shuffling towards her he gave Jack a tired little smile.

“Hey, feel better?” Jack asked as she pulled her feet off the chair and offered it to him.

“I think so. At least feeling a little rested, cause God only knows what time zone my body is set on right now,” he teased as he took a sip of her drink.

“Hungry? I picked up some food yesterday,” Jack said as she motioned towards the few bites of her sandwich on her plate.

“Looking out for me Sloane? I could get used to it,” he teased with a little wink. It was the most animated Jack had seen him all day.

“Always Jethro, always. Do you want a sandwich?”

“Yeah.”

Gibbs made an effort to get up and help her, but she waved him back down, handing him a bottle of iced tea and a bag of chips.

He ate his sandwich while Jack folded the laundry and tried to keep the conversation going.

“Hey, did you find a little brown bag in my duffle?” Gibbs asked as he set his plate in the sink and the empty bottle in the recycling bin.

“Yeah, it’s on your dresser,” Jack said as she handed him the basket of clean clothes. She watched him go up the stairs. He was bit steadier than he had been before his nap, she was happy to see that.

Gibbs set the basket in the corner of the room and grabbed the bag off the dresser. Jack was sitting on the couch when he went back downstairs. He sat next to her and pressed the little bag in her hand.

“What’s this?” she asked curiously as she turned to sit crossed legged facing him.

“Something I picked up for you in Pearl Harbor. Just looked like something you would like,” he said quietly with almost a hint of shyness and uncertainty, qualities Jack rarely heard in his voice.

Jack opened the bag and peeked inside. She pulled out the small square box, setting the bag on the couch next to her. Like a little girl on Christmas she excitedly took the lid off the box. Nestled in a bit of pale yellow tissue was a beautiful sterling silver cuff bracelet. She picked it up and admired it. It had what seemed to be random cutouts along the top of the bracelet, but she had a feeling there was nothing random about them.

“It’s based on the Tree of Life at the Arizona Memorial. There is a sculpture like that in front of the two Pearl Harbor Visitor Center Museums and it is also displayed at the Arizona Memorial where they are carved into each side of the structure, allowing natural light into the Shrine Room,” Gibbs explained as he took it from her and placed it on her wrist.

“Jethro, it’s beautiful,” she said, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. She held out her arm, admiring it.

“I’m glad you like it. I’m sure I have a brochure somewhere if you want to read about it,” he said with a grin.

“I’d like that,” she said with a grin. “And I saw t-shirts for the kids, macadamia nuts, real shells and sand in the bottom of your duffle. Did you set foot on an actual beach?”

“I did,” Gibbs answered proudly. “And, I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt at the time, was even barefoot. Stuck my feet in the water and everything. Even stopped for a drink at a beach bar, well, a few drinks,” he chuckled.

“Do you have photographic evidence of any of this?” Jack teased. “I might need it,” she snorted.

“Uh, not a photograph but hey, look at this,” he said as he pulled his right arm out of his sweatshirt and pushed up the sleeve of his t-shirt a little.

“What the hell am I looking at?” Jack snorted as she grabbed onto his forearm. It was a nice arm, she’d admired both of them plenty of times.

“Tan line Sloane, come on work with me,” he chuckled as he pointed to his arm about two inches above his elbow.

“Work with me? That’s what I say to you,” Jack pointed out. “Okay if I squint really hard, I suppose I see a really, really faint tan line. Not sure how I missed it before,” she snorted as she ran her finger over the middle of his bicep.

“Well, your attention was elsewhere,” Gibbs said, placing his finger at the top of the surgical scar on his chest. Jack blushed and tried to turn away but he reached to grab her chin, preventing her from doing so.

“You can work on your tan this summer,” Jack said. She cringed at how ridiculous her comment sounded, she could not see Gibbs ever working on his tan.

“Maybe we can spend a weekend at the beach or something,” Gibbs muttered as he put his feet on the coffee table and picked up the remote. Jack just looked at him like he had two heads. While a weekend at the beach with him sounded heavenly, she was not about to get her hopes up. 

Jack’s phone chimed from where it was on the kitchen table. She glanced in that direction but made no effort to get up off the couch.

“Go, it’s probably one of our team checking up on me,” Gibbs sighed. “I’m going down to the basement for a while. When I come up, I’ll be ready to talk,” he whispered. He stood up, kissed the top of Jack’s head and turned to go down to the solitude and comfort of his workshop.

Jack fingered the silver bracelet on her arm before heading to grab her phone. She opened her messages to see who was checking up on them. It was McGee.

_TM-Boss get in okay?_

_JS-Yeah, he did. Before you ask, not talking, but hasn’t thrown me out yet._

_TM-well, that’s still a good sign._

_JS-I suppose. In the basement now, says when he comes up he’ll be ready to talk._

_TM-he could be down there a while_

_JS-yeah that’s my fear but I have a good book and my laptop. I can keep busy. Can you just text Ellie and Nick that he made it home?_

_TM-of course. You text me if you two need anything, okay?_

_JS-of course, thanks Tim_

************

Jack pulled a package of chicken from the fridge. She mixed a quick marinade in a gallon bag and put the chicken in. There was a bag of salad they could share and a tube of crescent rolls would round out the meal. That is if she stayed until dinner. If not, Gibbs could eat leftovers all week. She eyed the bourbon on the top of the fridge but instead reached for another bottle of iced tea. 

Restless and unsure of what to do next, Jack wandered upstairs. She put away the clothes she’d washed earlier. The few things of hers got put back in her go bag. She’d already decided that she would not be staying the night. Gibbs needed sleep, he didn’t need to worry about how to act or what to say. So she carried the bag downstairs and set it in the foyer next to the table under the window.

************

Down in the basement Gibbs worked his latest project, a little picnic table for the backyard. The team had been spending more time at his house, as friends, as family. Summer was coming and he figured they would be spending time out on the deck. So he wanted somewhere for the little ones to eat. 

He alternated between sanding the benches and just sitting there, thinking. Like Jack he had eyed the bourbon, there was half a bottle on the workbench. He had dumped a mason jar of nail out and wiped it out with the bottom of the t-shirt he was wearing, but he didn’t end up pouring any.

His phone rang a couple of times, Ducky and Tony. He didn’t pick up and neither left messages. While he worked Gibbs listened to see if he could figure out what Jack was doing. He heard her go upstairs for a while but did hear her come back down to the living room. It had been a little while since he heard her walking around.

With a few deep breaths he stood up from the stool, grabbed his phone and headed upstairs. In his still exhausted state he missed a step but managed not to fall. “I’m okay,” he called to Jack, in case she’d heard him stumble.

Jack had heard him and was off the couch in an instant, meeting him at the top of the basement steps.

“Welcoming committee?” he asked as he kicked off his shoes.

Jack chose to ignore his comment, instead she stopped to lean against the front of the sink.

“Working on the picnic table for the kids?” she asked, knowing that was his latest project.

“Yeah, about ready to be put together,” he said. “Rain stopped, you want me to build a fire, we can sit outside,” he offered.

“Sure, I’ll put some more coffee on too,” she added, happy that he seemed to be holding to his promise of talking when he came upstairs. She started the coffee maker and then grabbed a towel so Gibbs could dry off the twin Adirondack chairs by the fire pit.

Gibbs grabbed some wood from under the tarp in the corner of the yard. He tossed the larger wet wood out of the firepit and without too much difficultly got the fire started. With a sigh he dropped into one of the chairs, mentally preparing himself to have a real conversation with Jack his time in Hawaii.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the link for the bracelet Gibbs gave to Jack https://pearlharbor.org/store/400398/
> 
> And some information about the depiction of the Tree of Life at the Arizona Memorial https://www.flashpackingamerica.com/hawaii-travel/tree-of-life-inside-pearl-harbor-memorial-oahu-hawaii/


	4. Chapter 4

Jack watched as Gibbs got the fire started and then settled down in one of the chairs. She buttoned up the flannel shirt she was wearing and grabbed the two large mugs of coffee before heading out the back door.

“Here, take these,” she called to Gibbs as she crossed the yard. He took the mugs so she could get settled in the chair next to him. She took hers back and wrapped her hands around it, warming them a little. 

Not surprisingly, Gibbs did not just launch into a deep, soul baring conversation about his time in Hawaii. But that was fine. Jack let him be for a few minutes, giving him a chance to start talking on his terms.

To his credit he did start talking, 5 minutes and half a mug of coffee later.

“It like nothing I have ever experienced in my life. I mean, I’ve been to way too many memorial services, military funerals over the years. But nothing like this,” he started. “It was strange, it obviously wasn’t a big affair, no crowds of mourners, basically me and a representative from the base, along with the chaplain and of course the divers. But I suppose I should back up a little.”

“Probably,” Jack said. She waited a beat for him to continue but he didn’t. “Had you ever been to Pearl Harbor?” Jack eventually asked.

“No, it was my first time. Anyway, it was early evening by the time I’d gotten settled in on base at Pearl Harbor-Hickam. I was exhausted and was barely aware of what time zone I was in. Probably ate dinner, don’t even know. I crawled into bed and passed out. It was probably only 12 hours or so later that I had to be ready to head over to the Arizona Memorial. Woke up the next morning not exactly ready to go. Went in search for some coffee. For the record the base coffee, terrible. Which makes no sense, obviously Hawaii has some really good coffee,” he said, lifting his mug to take a sip. Jack just took a sip of her own coffee and motioned for him to continue. “I remember having trouble getting my tie straight, wishing you were there to help me out,” he said with a smile.

“I thought about offering to go with you,” Jack said quietly.

“I know you thought about it. Tim actually did offer, almost took him up on it. But ultimately, I knew it was something I needed to do by myself,’ he explained. Jack nodded her understanding.

When Gibbs had set the chairs by the fire pit, he’d made a conscious decision to set them close enough that Jack could reach out to him, maybe touch his hand but far enough away that he was a little more likely to keep things under control. And so Jack was able to reach out to gently run her hand over his arm. But she pulled back quickly when she realized she shouldn’t do anything that might derail his desire to talk.

“I don’t even remember the ride from the base to the Visitor’s Center. We were there early, before it was open to the public. Took the boat out to the USS Arizona Memorial, we were the only ones there. I handed the ashes over to the diver and watched him return Joe’s remains to the place where he almost lost his life. It was over quickly, the base representative and the chaplain headed right back on the boat. I stayed to look around, figured I’d traveled thousands of miles, might as well take it all in. The whole memorial is beyond moving. The iconic white building straddles the battleship but doesn’t actually touch it. She sank in only about 40 feet of water, you can see it easily, there’s a viewing well in the center of the building. And at the far end of the building is the Shrine Room, it’s….” he trailed off as he inhaled deeply, trying to center himself a bit. He shook his head a little as if to either bring up the memories or press them back down, he wasn’t sure which.

“Take your time,” Jack whispered as she turned a little in her chair to face him.

Gibbs took a minute to catch his breath and drink some coffee. He hung his hand over the arm of the chair and he glanced at Jack to see if she would move towards him. With a little smile she reached out to gently hook her pinky with his. He seemed to appreciate the gesture and didn’t pull away.

“The Shrine Room is hard to describe. 1,177 names on the main wall, those killed in the attack. Then there is a low marble wall with the names of those survivors of the attack who chose to be interred there. Joe’s name had already been added, I was able to remove the tape and reveal it,” he said, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie. “I stayed for a little while and then got on the next boat heading back to the Visitor’s Center.”

“Did you take the time to go to the museums?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, I did. Thought about just heading back to base but I knew you’d be asking about the museum,” he chuckled as he let go of her hand and stood up. He moved his chair over a bit and angled it so he could kick off his shoes and prop his feet in Jack’s lap.

“Comfortable?” she snorted as she hooked her arm around his feet, resting her hand on his shin.

“Better than a C-130,” he snorted right back. “Anyway, the museums were interesting, weather was beautiful and gift shop well stocked,” he chuckled as he pointed towards her arm.

“I can see that,” Jack whispered as she fingered the bracelet once again.

“I went back to base and I think that’s when we talked for a little while and you convinced me not to just turn around and come home. Thanks for that,” he smirked. “I took a nap and then walked to Hickam Beach. Got myself something to eat and believe it or not, rented a chair and sat under the trees for a few hours. I had a book but to be honest, I have no idea how much I actually read. I think I just relaxed for the first time in days. It was nice to be alone. I mean, I spend time alone but time alone out in the world is a hell of a lot different than spending time alone in my basement with bourbon. Just sat and watched people go by for a long time. After the sun started to go down a little, I took a walk, feet in the water, by the way,” he pointed out as he wiggled his feet.

“Impressed,” Jack deadpanned.

“Hey, don’t I get points for trying?” he asked with a wink, half joking, half serious. 

“You get a lot of points for trying and for succeeding, by the way. I know you just wanted to turn around and get back on the plane. But you stayed and more importantly, you didn’t stay and just hang out in your room.”

“The thought had crossed my mind,” he grinned.

“I’m sure it did.”

“I went off base for dinner that night. And no, I don’t remember what I ate but yes, liquor was involved.”

“Of course,” Jack smiled.

“I slept pretty well that night, for the first time in weeks. Didn’t even take anything. I don’t know if it was just exhaustion or something more.”

“Probably a combination of things,” Jack mused.

Gibbs didn’t continue the conversation right away. He shoved his hands in the pocket of the faded hoodie he was wearing, resting his head back, staring up at the sky. The sun was trying to peek out from the clouds.

“You want more coffee?” Jack eventually asked. Gibbs just gave her a little look, of course he wanted more coffee. She grabbed their mugs and headed in, pouring more coffee and grabbing the package of Oreos out of the pantry cabinet.

.

“Okay, so the next day, more beach time?” Jack asked as she handed him his coffee. She ran a hand through his hair and pressed a kiss to his forehead before settling back down in her chair, this time she kicked off her slippers and put her feet in his lap. 

“Not exactly,” he said cryptically as he set his hand down, drawing lazy circles on her knee.

“Hung out in the room?” Jack guessed.

“No, not at all. I went to Diamond Head,” he said, preparing himself for the teasing that was sure to come.

“Excuse me? You went where?” Jack asked, almost pretty sure she’d heard him incorrectly.

“You heard me, Sloane,” Gibbs snorted. “I acted like a tourist and I took a tour to Diamond Head. Climbed it and everything.”

“How was it?” Jack asked.

“Beautiful as you can imagine. I have some pictures on my laptop,” he said with a grin.

“You took a camera with you?” Jack asked, more than a bit surprised.

“God no, there was a boy a little older than Finn on the tour, took lots of pictures with his phone and offered to send them to me,” he explained. “I was glad I went, one of those bucket list things.”

“Hope I get to Hawaii someday,” Jack said. “Before I’m too old to surf,” she added with a grin.

“Speaking of surfing,” Gibbs said as he reached for a cookie and dunking it into his coffee.

“You didn’t?” Jack asked as he pulled her feet off his lap and tucked them under her, leaning forward waiting for him reply.

“God no, I am too old for that. But I did go to Waikiki Beach to watch the surfers. Looked like fun.”

“Beyond fun,” Jack said with a sigh as she thought about how long it had been since she ridden a wave.

“So, when I’m working on my tan at the beach this summer, you can surf. I’ll watch,” Gibbs said. It was an off the cuff comment, the type Jack had come to expect. At times she had the feeling he just said things like that because they were what she wanted to hear.

“Jethro, please don’t say things you don’t mean,” Jack said, a bit sharper than she had really intended. She reached for a stick on the ground next to her, poking a bit at the fire, watching the sparks fly up to the sky.

Gibbs leaned over to still her hand. “Who says I don’t mean it?” he asked as Jack reluctantly dropped the stick and turned her head to look at him, her vision clouded by the hair falling over her eyes. Gibbs reached out to tuck the errant strand behind her ear, as he’d done a hundred times before. “You don’t think a weekend at the beach sounds good?”

“It sounds great, but when was the last time you took a vacation of your own free will?” Jack asked, eyebrows raised.

“I don’t know, other than it’s been way too long. I should take time off. Tony’s been annoying me to come to Paris for a visit. And we are going to the beach this summer,” he said firmly.

“Okay,” Jack said, telling herself not to get excited about the possibility. “What did you do after Waikiki?” she asked, gently moving the conversation back to where they had been minutes earlier. 

“I got something to eat at Duke’s on the beach. Before you ask, fish tacos, a mojito or two and a slice of hulu pie.”

“What’s hulu pie?” Jack asked curiously.

“Macadamia Ice cream pie with chopped nuts, chocolate crust and hot fudge. Oh and whipped cream of course.”

“Sounds amazing,” Jack said, her mouth watering at his description.

“It was,” Gibbs assured her. “I hung out there for a long time, possibly had a few shots in addition to the mojitos. You know, in Joe’s memory.”

“Joe really had an effect on you, didn’t he?” Jack asked quietly, not sure she really wanted to take the conversation in that direction right then and there. Gibbs had already talked a lot, for him at least and she didn’t want to push things.

“He did. Can we talk about him later?” Gibbs asked as he held up his hands, warming them in front of the fire a little.

“Sure,” Jack agreed, holding up her hands too.

Gibbs curled up a bit, or as much as it was possible for him to curl up his 6 foot frame into an Adirondack chair.

“How about I give you a little time alone?’ Jack offered as she shoved her feet into her shoes. Gibbs just nodded and gave a little smile. He held out his coffee mug with a hopeful look on his face. “You’ve had enough,” she smirked as she pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Take your time,” she said as she headed inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and sweet comments.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack headed inside, kicking off her damp slippers just inside the back door. She watched Gibbs for a minute. He was leaning over, elbows on his knees, heels of his hands pressed tight against his eyes. It took all her willpower to turn and walk away from the back door. She busied herself setting the bag of chicken out on the counter and grabbing a baking sheet out from the cabinet. The coffee pot got rinsed and set up for the next morning. She spent the next 10 minutes or so aimlessly wandering around the house. The chime of her cellphone brought her back to the present. With a sigh she found her phone on the coffee table, under the yellow tissue from the bracelet. 

_AD-Hey Jack, how’s it going?_

_JS-Not too bad. He slept for a while. Actually talked about the trip. Would you believe he went to the beach, more than once. Even went to Diamond Head._

_AD-Leroy Jethro Gibbs, at the beach??_

_JS-Apparently there are pictures of him at Diamond Head. I’ll share them when I see them. He even went souvenir shopping. I’ll send you a picture of the bracelet he brought for me. The man has nice taste in jewelry. Bought t-shirts for the kids too._

_AD-Now he’s just freaking me out_

_JS- Just go with it, I’ve found that works best._

_AD-that might take some getting used to_

_JS-he’s sitting outside by the firepit right now, has his phone with him if you want to try and call._

_AD-yeah, I’ll try. I’m sure I’ll talk to you soon_

_JS-Yeah, take care, give Tali a hug._

Jack took a picture of the bracelet and sent it to Tony, getting a quick reply in the form of a few hearts.

She glanced out the back door a few minutes later. Gibbs was on the phone, a smile on his face.

***************

Jack puttered around the house while Gibbs sat out by the fire talking to Tony. She checked on him a few times, always finding him with a smile on his face. She walked outside to turn the grill on as he was hanging up the phone. He pulled his feet down from where they had been propped on the other chair, slipping them into his shoes.

“Nice chat?” she called over her shoulder when she saw him start to walk towards her.

“Yeah, it was. I didn’t tell him anything about what happened earlier. Maybe someday, maybe never. Told him all about Hawaii. He wants photographic evidence of Diamond Head too,” Gibbs teased as he reached for the brush to clean off the grill. It had only been used a few times so far during the spring, so it didn’t need too much attention. “Uh what are we having for dinner?” he asked when he realized he hadn’t planned anything.

“I picked up chicken at the store yesterday. Let me go start the oven to put in the rolls. You want a beer?”

“If you’re joining me,” he replied with a wink.

“Can’t let you drink alone,” Jack smiled right back.

Jack returned a few minutes later with the bag of chicken and two beers dangling from one hand. While Gibbs put the chicken on the grill she poked at the fire as it had died down a little. He chuckled at her clumsy attempt as he always did when she tried to tend to fire, either in the fireplace or the fire pit.

“You about done?” he called over his shoulder, the teasing very evident in his voice.

“Sure,” Jack laughed as she set the poker on the edge of the fire pit. 

They sat on the edge of the deck while the chicken cooked and the rolls baked. The small talk was well, small, but that was fine. Gibbs had truly made an effort to talk earlier and Jack was content to let him be, for the moment. She did have plans to ask him about Joe later but wasn’t in a hurry.

*************

They cleaned up from dinner together. The usual quiet of the kitchen broken by music from Jack’s cell phone. She danced around a little, making a half hearted attempt at getting Gibbs to do the same. That effort didn’t get very far, just earned her a few eye rolls from him as he hopped up to sit on the counter while Jack dried the baking sheet and the grilling tongs. 

“Do you want to go out for ice cream?” he asked after leaning around to see if he had any in the freezer. There was an old half finished pint of Ben and Jerry’s on the door. He had no idea how old that was and when he opened it there was a layer of ice crystals on top.

“Sure,” Jack answered as she playfully swatted him with the dishtowel before hanging it on the oven door. “Let me throw on some jeans.”

“Yeah, I should change too,” Gibbs said as he motioned towards the ratty flannel pants and faded hoodie he was wearing. He slid off the counter and headed up the stairs with Jack trailing behind him. “Uh Sloane,” he said, looking over his shoulder.

“What?” she asked as she stopped and grabbed onto the railing.

“Your go-bag is by the front door,” he smirked as he went up the last half a dozen stairs two at a time. 

Jack rolled her eyes at her own actions and went back down the stairs. She grabbed the bag and just went into the guest room to change. She threw on jeans and a fleece before running a brush through her hair and putting it back into a messy bun.

Gibbs came back down a few minutes later, dressed similarly in jeans and a fleece. He had a pair of Chuck Taylors hanging from one hand and the other hand was smoothing down his hair. Dropping onto the couch with a groan he slipped on his shoes while Jack grabbed her car keys.

The ride over to Toby’s was spent in comfortable silence. Well, except for the groan Gibbs had let out when he folded himself in the passenger’s seat of Jack’s Mini Cooper. The same groan he always made when they took her car.

Jack eased the car into a spot a block away from the ice cream shop. It was fairly busy for an early spring evening and they waited a few minutes in line. As usual Jack tried in vain to pay but Gibbs waved her off with a snort. They managed to find a table in the corner, away from the family with three little kids and a group of noisy teenagers.

The settled down with their treats, a double scoop cone of Coffee Oreo for Gibbs and a dish of Coconut Chocolate Crunch for Jack. 

“Nice of you to get something you can share with me,” Gibbs teased. Jack usually got something fruity or “flower” flavored as he called it. She rolled her eyes and held out a spoonful of ice cream for him. He took it with a grin and held out his cone in her direction. She tried a little, ending up with ice cream on her nose. Gibbs was only too happy to help her wipe it off.

Jack let him eat half of his ice cream before launching into her planned conversation.

“So, Joe,” she said vaguely.

“What about him?” Gibbs asked as he wiped his mouth with the napkin Jack held out to him.

“Exactly, what was it about him that had you all tied up in knots?” she asked. 

Gibbs stalled for time by carefully licking the ice cream which was threatening to drip down the side of the cone. “I don’t know. Reminded me of my Dad, I suppose. Stubborn, patriotic, set in his ways, exasperating,” he muttered with a wave of his hand. Jack just looked at him and tried her best not to laugh. “What?” Gibbs asked.

“You do realize you just described yourself,” she pointed out, stabbing her spoon in his direction for emphasis. He nodded, knowing she was right.

“Joe was someone I really wish I had gotten to know better. I wish we had more time. Would have loved to have heard more stories. About more than just Pearl Harbor. About him, his whole life. He saw things I can only imagine,” Gibbs whispered harshly as he peeled the paper off his cone.

“And you’ve seen plenty in your lifetime,” Jack said as she tentatively reached out to touch his hand. To her surprise, Gibbs didn’t pull back, instead he laced his fingers with hers. 

“Did you talk to McGee while I was gone?” Gibbs asked before taking a bite of the cone. 

“Of course, we work together,” Jack said with a smirk. Gibbs just scoffed at her reply. “We did talk, the day after you left. At the end of the day, Tim showed up at my office door with coffee, scones and eventually a few tears,” Jack said as she pushed aside her empty cup and reached to take both of Gibbs’ hands in hers. “He didn’t get into details. You’ll probably be happy to know he didn’t even offer. And even if he had, I don’t want to hear details like that about your life from anyone but you,” Jack explained.

“I prefer that too. But that being said…” Gibbs trailed off as he pulled his hands away from Jack’s. He wiped his face before propping up his chin in his hand.

“You’re not planning on sharing those details right now?” Jack guessed. Gibbs just nodded. “That’s okay, not the time or place,” Jack said, reassuring him.

“Not the time or place for quite a few things today,” he whispered. His words held no accusatory tone, just a statement of fact. A small smile ghosted across his face as he tried in vain to suppress a yawn.

“Come on, let’s go,” Jack said as she picked up the cup and the napkins. She threw everything away while Gibbs stepped outside, moving away from the door to fix his loose shoelace. “Let’s get you home, you are exhausted,” she said as she grabbed Gibbs’ hand, leading him back towards her car.

“Yeah, I am,” Gibbs agreed as they stepped off the curb. “No idea what time my internal clock is set to about now,” he laughed.

As Jack could have easily predicted, Gibbs fell asleep on the 10 minute ride back to his place.

“Gibbs,” she said softly as she put the car in park and turned it off. He didn’t move. “Jethro honey, work with me,” she said as she reached to undo his seatbelt.

“Yeah, working with you,” he muttered as he wiped his face with his left hand while opening the door with his right. He got himself out of the car and shuffled up the walk with Jack trailing behind, making sure he actually made it inside under his own power.

“Oh no,” Jack said as Gibbs attempted to sit down on the couch. “Upstairs, brush your teeth and put on your pajamas,” she said as she pointed him in the direction of the stairs and gave him a little nudge.

“It’s barely 9:00,” he whined as he checked his watch.

“And your body has no idea what time it is,” Jack helpfully pointed out.

Gibbs nodded in agreement, knowing he was not going to win the fight. He started up the stairs, leaning heavily on the railing. Halfway up he turned around and called to her. “Hey Jack.”

“What?” she asked as she was heading to the kitchen to wash her sticky hands.

“You aren’t going to just sneak out the front door, are you?” he asked, honestly unsure how she was going to answer.

“No, Jethro, I’m not. I’ll be up in a minute,” she assured him as she reached to turn on the water. She waited until she heard the bathroom door close before she left the kitchen. Part of her felt she should just go up, bid him goodnight and head home. Another part of her wanted to crawl into bed with him as if nothing had happened earlier in the day. And a third part of her knew neither of those options were going to happen. She went into the guestroom and changed out of her jeans, pulling her leggings back on before heading upstairs.

Gibbs was still in the bathroom when she got up to his room. She busied herself by picking up the clothes he’d left strewn about and tossing them in the hamper in the corner of the room. She pulled back the covers on his side of the bed and sat down on “her” side, on top of the plaid quilt.

“Thanks,” he whispered as he came into the room, dressed in an ancient NCIS t-shirt and flannel pajama pants.

“For what?” Jack asked as she pulled the blanket from the end of the bed over her lap.

“For not bolting,” he said quietly as he sat down on the edge of the bed, facing away from her.

“Jethro, I would never sneak out.” He nodded his understanding as he turned to stick his feet under the covers, pulling them up. “But you’re not staying?” he asked as he motioned to the fact that he was under the covers and she was not.

“I’ll stay, but I’ll be downstairs in the guest room,” Jack replied as she turned a little to face him. 

“Why?” he asked, making sure not to look at her.

Jack reached out to hook her finger under his chin to get him to look at her. “Because you need about 12 straight hours of sleep. You don’t need to freak out when you wake up in the middle of the night and find us curled up together. You don’t need to be concerned with where your body parts are in relation to mine,” she teased. That earned her a little smile. “Make sense?” she asked as she ran her hand over his cheek.

“Suppose. Doesn’t mean I like it,” he muttered as he scooted down, rolling over onto his stomach, turning his head to face Jack.

“I know. And just so you know, I don’t plan on sleeping in the guestroom forever,” Jack assured him with a wink.

“Good,” he whispered as he patted the space between the two of them.

Jack stretched out next to him, rubbing his back for a minute. While she had no intention of falling asleep in his room, she did plan on staying until he fell asleep.

That didn’t take all that long, he was snoring softly in a matter of minutes. Jack stayed for a little while longer, not quite ready to head down to the empty guest room.

*****************

It was only 9:30 when Jack made her way back downstairs. She put on some water for tea and pulled her laptop out of her tote bag, setting it up on the kitchen table. Her email didn’t even hold her attention past the point where the water boiled. As the tea steeped she took a few calming breaths which didn’t work all that well. She rummaged through her tote looking for an essential oil roller bottle she knew was in there somewhere. It was found at the bottom under a headband and an old shopping list. 

“That’s better,” she whispered to herself as she uncapped it and breathed in the scent of lavender and lemon. She rolled some onto her wrists, rubbing them together to release the scent. 

Jack gave up on the computer and took her tea into the living room, curling up on the couch with the remote. She landed on the Food Network and an episode of Chopped. The combination of the tea, the essential oil, Gibbs’ flannel shirt she’d wrapped herself in and some mindless television had her struggling to stay awake by 10:30. She clicked off the television and curled up on the couch. It wasn’t quite the guest room she’d planned on sleeping in, but she was still a flight of stairs away from Gibbs. And the flight of stairs between them was what they needed that night.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack woke with the sun, completely surprised she’d slept through the night. She glanced around noticing quickly that Gibbs had not quite slept through the night. He was curled up on the other part of the couch, his feet tangled up with hers in the corner. She carefully sat up, trying not to wake him. He didn’t move and she covered him back up, ruffling his hair a little with a smile. She grabbed the Sunday paper off the front porch and started the coffee maker.

While Gibbs slept, she found ingredients for a quick coffee cake, whipped it up and put it in the oven. She finished two cups of coffee and got a good start on the crossword puzzle while the cake baked.

Her phone buzzed and she texted with Ducky for a few minutes. He was just checking in, a bit worried that he hadn’t heard from either of them since Gibbs had returned home. Jack assured him things were okay-ish. She promised to have Gibbs call him later so they could talk.

As Jack poured another cup of coffee and took the cake out of the oven she heard Gibbs wandering around. She grabbed another mug out of the dish drainer and poured him some, setting it on the kitchen table.

“Smells good,” he called as he shuffled down the hall from the bathroom. “Since when do I have stuff to bake a cake?” he muttered as dropped into a chair and reached for the coffee, taking a large, satisfying sip.

“It’s the coffee cake recipe off the box of Bisquick, nothing fancy,” Jack said as she leaned against the table next to him. “How’d you sleep?” she asked as she wrapped her hands around the mug.

“I think I slept okay. Wandered down here a few hours ago. Sorry about that,” he said, not really sure if he needed to apologize for walking around his own home.

“Nothing to be sorry for, it is your house,” Jack said with a little smile. She patted his shoulder and stood up to go cut the cake.

“I assume you’ll be heading out soon?” Gibbs asked after taking a few bites of coffee cake. 

“In a little while. Don’t plan on bolting as soon as my coffee is done,” Jack said as she stood up to pour some more coffee for herself.

“Good,” Gibbs said as he picked up the newspaper, looking for his reading glasses. “Surprised I haven’t heard from Ducky,” he muttered as he pulled the front page from the stack and spread it out in front of him.

“He texted me a little while ago,” Jack answered with a smile as she reached for her own glasses and the crossword puzzle.

“Why don’t people just reach out to me?” Gibbs muttered, more to himself than to Jack.

“Cause they know you’ll be annoyed if they call and you refuse to get a real cell phone so they can just text,” Jack pointed out, for probably the hundredth time.

“Whatever,” Gibbs muttered, trying not to let a little smile flash by his face. He’d considered getting a smart phone but for reasons he couldn’t put into words he was still not quite able to pull the trigger, as it were, and get one. Sooner or later he knew Finn would be the one to talk him into it.

“Ducky doesn’t have plans to come over here, medical bag in hand, does he? Cause I feel fine, other than being jetlagged,” he muttered without looking up from the newspaper.

“I don’t think he was about to run over. But I’m sure he’d like to hear from you directly sometime today,” Jack replied as she filled in a clue and squinted a little at the puzzle, as if that would help her to find more answers.

“I will call him. You need help with that?” he asked, motioning towards the puzzle.

“Sure,” Jack replied as she stood, picked up her chair and set it back down next to Gibbs. She reached for the puzzle and handed him the pen. They worked well together, both had different areas of expertise, making them a good team. Jack absently ran her fingers through Gibbs hair as she leaned over to peer at the puzzle. He leaned towards her, pressing a kiss to her temple.

As they sipped their coffee, finished the coffee cake and worked through the puzzle things were just as normal as could be. Jack snuggled up against his side, teasing him about his lack of knowledge when it came to popular culture. He did the same to her when it came to her lack of sports knowledge.

When it came down to the last few letters, Gibbs handed Jack the pen so she could finish it up. Jack tossed aside her glasses and pulled her feet up to sit cross legged in the chair. 

“So, what are your plans for the rest of today?” he asked as he pulled his glasses off and tossed them down on the table next to the newspaper.

Jack took a deep breath. “Honestly, I don’t know. I need to catch up on stuff at home, bills, laundry and a few other mundane chores. How about you?”

“Well, since you did food shopping for me, I don’t need to spend my Sunday doing that for a change. And you did the laundry too. How do you feel about mowing the lawn for me?” he teased as he stood up to clear away their dishes.

“I feel like you can do that on your own,” Jack teased right back. “But I wouldn’t be opposed to spending a little time out by the fire.”

“Now, in our pajamas?” Gibbs asked as he glanced down at his flannel pajama pants and ancient USMC t-shirt which had long ago faded from black to dusty gray. 

“You got somewhere better to be?” Jack asked a she turned to start another pot of coffee, knowing he was going to agree to her plan.

“Not at all,” Gibbs grinned. He found his slippers by the basement door and went out to start the fire.

Jack found her own slippers while the coffee brewed and Gibbs got the fire started. 

“Thought it was supposed to be springtime,” Jack muttered 5 minutes later as she walked across the yard carrying two mugs of coffee and shivering a little. She handed one mug to Gibbs and pushed her chair as close to the fire as she could without worrying about burning herself. She settled down, feet propped in Gibbs’ lap.

“Comfy?” he asked with a grin as he took a sip of his coffee before setting it down on the ground next to him. Jack just nodded as she wiggled her feet a little. Gibbs pulled off her slippers and tossed them aside to rub her feet, heeding her unvoiced request. “What are the chances of us just going back to normal come Monday morning?” he asked as he stared out over the yard, taking care not to look at Jack.

“Well, for starters that would imply that we were ever normal in the first place,” Jack teased.

“That being said, our chances are just fine. I’m not going to dwell on it and I don’t plan on bringing up what almost happened yesterday in the near future. Unless of course you want to talk about anything,” she added quietly. “Could you look at me?” she asked as she turned her foot to poke him in the famous gut.

“Yeah, I can look at you,” he replied as he refocused her gaze towards her, blue eyes met brown and to Jack’s surprise there were no unshed tears from either of them. “I certainly don’t plan on talking about it anytime soon. But I do think I should go back to talking to Grace on a somewhat normal basis,” he sighed as he reached for his coffee.

“Good for you, Jethro,” Jack said simply.

“Thought you’d feel that way,” he grinned. “I should have been keeping up with it all along. Meds help but as Grace likes to say, they are just one tool in the toolbox, they’re not the be all and end all.”

“No, they are not. But I can tell they are helping,” Jack said honestly. In the 4 months since Gibbs had started taking Lexapro, she could see a change in him. He seemed a little more upbeat, a bit more hopeful and most of all, better able to handle the stress of his everyday life. Jack didn’t voice her observations to him in way which directly addressed the meds he took, but she did take the time to let him know she saw him doing “better” in general terms. Gibbs knew she walked a tightrope when it came to his mental well-being, it was a natural by-product of her background and education. And in similar unspoken ways, he let her know her efforts and observations were very much appreciated.

Gibbs nudged Jack’s feet a little, getting her to pull them off his lap so he could put his feet up in hers. She slipped her shoes on so her socks wouldn’t get wet in the damp grass.

“I meant what I said yesterday,” Gibbs said as he reached out and poked a little at the fire before picking up his coffee.

“Jethro, you said lots of things yesterday, you’re gonna have to be a little more specific,” she said as she tickled the bottom of his foot. He pulled his leg back in surprise, causing him to spill a little coffee on his pants. 

“What I said about spending some time at the beach this summer,” he clarified as he wiped at the wet spot on his knee.

“Really?” Jack asked. “It’s been way too long since I’ve been to the beach. Can’t remember the last time I surfed.”

“Well, don’t really see myself surfing but I will cheer you on from my spot under the umbrella,” Gibbs grinned. “End of the summer, you and me, Jersey Shore.”

“You know who would love to come with us.”

“Phineas?” Gibbs quickly guessed. Jack just nodded. 

Gibbs’ phone rang and he grabbed it out of his pocket. “Ducky,” he said to Jack as flipped the phone open. “Hey Duck,” he said as he shoved his feet into his slippers to pace around the yard while he talked to Ducky.

Jack pulled her chair a little closer to the fire, it was chilly for April in DC. As Gibbs and Ducky talked she allowed herself to dream just a little about a beach vacation with Gibbs and their favorite, soon to be, 10 year old.

When it was clear Gibbs was actually having a real conversation with Ducky, Jack picked up the mugs and headed inside. She quickly got dressed and packed up her go bag.

“Weren’t playing on sneaking out were you?” Gibbs teased as he came back in the house a little while later to find her setting her things down by the front door.

“Never, Jethro,” she said as she tucked her hair behind her ears. “So that was a long conversation with Ducky.”

“Yeah, he has dinner plans tonight and he’s going out of town for a few days.”

“So you actually had a phone conversation which lasted longer than 3 minutes,” Jack teased lightly as she pulled him towards the couch. 

“Something like that,” Gibbs said as he dropped down on the couch next to her. “Guess you’re getting ready to leave,” he said as he hitched his thumb towards her bags.

“Yeah, I do have things to do today,” Jack said as she turned to face him, feet tucked under her. “But I’m not running towards the door,” she pointed out as she pulled the blanket over her lap.

“So, what are things going to be like tomorrow morning?” Gibbs asked as he turned towards Jack a little, grabbing half the blanket for himself. She could tell from the tone in his voice he was genuinely uneasy about how things might be. 

“Well, I imagine the team will be asking you all about your trip to Hawaii,” Jack said with a grin.

“Yeah, you’re probably right, but I was talking about us,” he chuckled.

“Well, you’ll come off the elevator carrying two cups of coffee, as you usually do. The team will look at you with curiosity as you head for my office. They’ll gossip as soon as you’re out of their line of sight and then they’ll get to work,” Jack explained. Gibbs motioned for her to continue. “You’ll come to my office, sit on the edge of my desk and hand me my coffee. You’ll lean over, kiss my cheek and we’ll make small talk for a minute or two while we drink our coffee. One of our phones will ring and we’ll have to get to work. Same as always,” Jack said with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Same as always,” Gibbs repeated with a little nod of his head.

“What are you going to do this afternoon?” Jack asked as she reached out to grab his left hand, holding it in both of hers.

“Well, since you didn’t mow the lawn, I guess I’ll have to do that,” he teased. “Probably talk to Finn. Didn’t get a chance to talk to him while I was aware with the time difference and my lack of ambition to speak with anyone.”

“It’s okay. I did talk to him while you were away. He knows what you were doing in Hawaii. I explained how the team figured out Joe was telling the truth. Had lots of questions as usual. Told him to save them for you.”

“I think I can handle that,” Gibbs assured her as he pushed the sleeve of her shirt up a little, fingering the bracelet on her wrist.

“You know, I’m going to get teased out this,” Jack said with a grin.

“I know. You can handle that.”

“Been handling it for almost a year and a half,” Jack snorted.

“I know, Jack,” Gibbs whispered. He pulled his hands away and scrubbed them over his face. As he stared off into space Jack could practically see him pulling back into himself.

“Hey,” Jack said as she reached out to hook a finger under his chin and get him to look at her. “Look at me, please,” she whispered as she moved to press her hand to his stubbled cheek.

“I’m looking,” Gibbs whispered.

“Good, wherever you went just now, come on back, we are fine,” Jack assured him. “Tomorrow will not be any more awkward than any other Monday morning in recent memory. I promise,” Jack said as she pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay, we’re okay,” he said with a crooked little grin.

“Good,” Jack said as she rubbed his back for a minute. “I’m going to get going. You have a lawn to mow,” she said with a grin of her own.

Jack found her sneakers and slipped them on before running upstairs to see if she had left anything up there.

Gibbs pulled on his work boots while he waited for Jack to come back down.

“Didn’t leave anything behind?” he asked when she came back down empty handed.

“No, it’s not like I won’t be back in the near future,” she teased as she slipped on the jacket Gibbs was holding out for her. She reached for her go bag but he got to it first. She slipped her tote bag over her shoulder and opened the front door.

After her bags were tossed in her car, Jack turned to face Gibbs.

“I don’t suppose thank you is sufficient?” he muttered.

“It’s always sufficient, don’t you ever forget that Jethro,” Jack assured him as she reached up to put her hands on his shoulders. “Not to mention, what in the world are you thanking me for?”

“Off the top of my head, the ride home from Andrews, not freaking out or bolting for the door when things got weird, taking care of me and most of all, for just being you,” he whispered.

“And thank you for being you. No matter what happens in the future, right here and now, you are my best friend,” Jack said as she reached up to kiss his cheek.

“And you’re mine,” Gibbs replied, giving her a wink and a little crooked grin. “Go, I have a lawn to mow and a 9 year old to chat with. I’ll see you in the morning,” Gibbs said, not wanting to prolong things further.

“Bye,” Jack said as she slid into the driver’s seat. She started the car, found some upbeat music and watched as Gibbs disappeared around the side of the house, heading for the backyard. She fingered the bracelet on her wrist and headed home with a smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always for your support and encouragement.

**Author's Note:**

> Still trying to process the fact that Maria is leaving the show.


End file.
